In many nations like the Philippines there are no safety nets. Family is very important as it is in other Asian communities. Your retirement plan, health plan and so forth are basically family - especially your children (hence the drive to educate them as much as possible).

* I should add gold and children are vital in many cultures as they know what happens to funny fiat money (why many cultures prefer gold) and government promises (ie Marcos).

I think many Asian men look to the west (and the EU) and see the results. So on one hand you have the UN and globalists (such as Obama/Biden) pushing their through many organizations and the MSM and on the other, you have a very harsh, cold reality.

A women has only to look at the slums, the homeless, the street side beggars in Manila and worse to know that the man she chooses is literally the choice between a good, strong family and a good life OR one of poverty and hardships and perhaps homelessness.

There is no welfare, people tend to be more independent (and connected) and NO one trusts the government - at least in the Philippines (due to corruption). Families are not perfect but they are all many people have.

Marry a drinker, an abusive husband and/or a cheat and she's stuck with him. Men don't like older women (late 20s), women that are not virgins and especially women that have children from another man. Why should he?

For men, there isn't as much "BS" either. If a women doesn't do her side of the marriage - well - there are always outside choices. If he goes looking outside of the marriage it means lost income for her and a chance she'll loose him (or at least some of his income) to a mistress.

For example, IF a women gets pregnant sans husband the ONLY people whom will support her MIGHT be her family. If she marries an abusive husband, well, SHE has to deal with it as it was her decision. She needs children as that's her retirement program (and women fear being alone above all), she needs a good husband as women are often ill equipped to handle, life.

Women are less practical in all things save for marriage, and children. There, women are coldly predatory and logical. Thus, it's in HER best interests to choose a good man and to fulfill her side of the bargain.

So IMO the erosion is far slower and perhaps the global financial storms which will last until at least until 2014, will slow it even further. It is quite possible that we're about to see a reversal of this trend in the years ahead.

Could we see globalization under threat and a trend to nationalism? Could we see an end to the welfare state and a return to individual responsibility? Perhaps.

Even in the US, it's quite likely many states like Kalifornia will go bankrupt [the budget shortfall may hit 40 BILLION this year) which means many ruined pensions for government employees (state/cty) including those in the health care field. After all, they are essentially service jobs which depend on a strong manufacturing underpinnings.

EricW, aMGHOW

Added - I was talking to a Filipina in the past. Although she may work in the US as a nurse she doesn't want her children to go there. I inquired, "why". She explained that she and others saw what the American feminist culture did to the children and to families and they didn't want that to happen to their children. After life with Marcos many Filipinas know that if they loose their children to femi-nut-ism it is THEY whom are SOL when they get older. More and more, people are shunning femi-nut cultures.